


Pay for your Freedom

by ReadingHell



Series: Chronicles of a Soulmark [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, Cheating, Homophobia, Minor Character Death, Multi, Religious Conflict, Religious Fanaticism, Violence, but also not a bad one, killing animals, not a completely happy ending, swears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 21:31:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15849762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadingHell/pseuds/ReadingHell
Summary: Logan lived his whole life without needing a soulmate. He didn’t need one, nor his parents or his kingdom, that’s how the rules were. He didn’t have a problem with that, he just found himself overthinking about it, maybe a bit too much. He needed to know more about them, and with the lack of information in his country, his patience was growing thin.Virgil had his soulmark stolen hours after getting it. He remembers it clearly, being a ten year old with fascination about his other half, but waking up next morning with no trace of it. He remembers it though, he’ll always do, but as a markless, finding his soulmate will become an almost impossible task.Destiny cannot be changed, sooner or later you’ll find yourself facing it. Will both be ready to handle the weight of their marks?Analogical/Royalty, Royalty-Soulmate AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning this chapter: Religious Obsession

It was barely past midnight when Logan woke up from his nightmare. He couldn’t remember much, maybe a few glimpses of faces and voices, but he chose not to think about it. It wasn’t a good dream to have on a day like this. He looked at the clock on the left wall and realized he still had a few minutes left before his mom came to take him to the ceremony, so he quickly left the bed and went to take a quick shower.

His mom arrived on time, exactly half past midnight, and quickly escorted him out of the room and right to the tower. He could see a few kids, more or less his age, walking quickly to the chapel on the top floor with their parents following behind. He silently wondered where his father was, it wasn’t like him to be late to this kind of event. Even less to be late for a sacred ceremony. He felt a hand holding his own and looked up to see his mom smiling brightly, soothing his nerves away.

“I’m sorry the king is away,” Daira didn’t even look at him, her eyes focused on the door at the end of the corridor. “The rulers Inka are hard to be diplomatic with, especially now with so little food left for our people. Don’t worry, he’ll be back tomorrow morning”

“Is it okay for us to keep with the ceremony?” He looked around, taking note of the nervousness in the parents. “We shouldn’t offend the gods, and tradition dictates that he should be here.”

“There are a lot of traditions we’re skipping here. What matters is not tradition, what matters is being respectful.” Logan could feel the strength of the hold getting tighter, but he decided not to say anything. “Stay calm. It’s just for today, okay?”

He already knew that, but decided to simply nod and follow the instructions. Sometimes he wondered if he was the one helping his family calm down. After all, it wasn’t hard for him to do so. He just had to follow the instructions. With that in mind, he quickly walked with his mother to the front of the group and led the way inside of the pillar.

Inside, he found a chair for each one of the kids. Surrounding the room, the three sculptures of Illa, goddess of light; Amsa, god of Darkness, and Khuya, deity of love, were watching as all the children sat in a line in front of the chairs, the parents left the room as to follow the tradition.

The second part of the ceremony was done as quickly as the first one. They prayed, they gave tribute and left offerings, and once again they found themselves sitting in front of the chairs, waiting for the call.

That’s when the interesting part of the ceremony started.

The statue in the center, Khuya slowly broke into many pieces, falling apart until in front of them laid the goddess. The until now cold room suddenly filled with a warm breeze, as the atmosphere changed completely, almost as if they were in another world.

Logan couldn’t hold his surprise, his heartbeat increasing as the young woman walked closer to them, slowly becoming more and more human-like. He had read many times about this ceremony, but never had the chance of actually having a deity in front of him, and he knew the textbooks were missing some huge information. His hands were shaking, his brain trying to absorb as much of the scene unfolding in front of him as possible, but it felt like the creature in front of him was too overwhelming for his senses, numbing them completely and bringing him a feeling of calm. That calm was interrupted when he noticed the track of tears on her cheeks, wondering what was bothering a deity like her so much. After a few more steps, the woman finally acquired the aspects of a human being, standing behind all the chairs, her robes still floating in the air held by a magic force. Her whole being radiated a pink glow, her eyes shining brightly. She waved a hand with long, skinny fingers at us, smiling even through the tears.

“We are here united to celebrate the sacred union between each children born ten years ago and a fitting partner with whom you all shall be bonded with until your death. I shall grant my blessing to each one of Illa’s offsprings, with which you will be able to start your search for your significant other.” Her smile quivered a little, a small tear falling through her right cheek, but she ignored it.

She closed her eyes, and after some seconds, a light shined in one of the chairs, while the deity mentioned a kid’s name. He stumbled a bit, barely managing to sit in the chair with no more slips, and waited for his destiny to come. Khuya grabbed him by the wrist and softly kissed it, light flowing through the contact place. A shiny blue heart appeared there, a mark that will help him find his soulmate. The lights went off, and another seat was illuminated, as a small girl was called.

One by one, the group was divided in each chair, as they got their soulmark. Some were really small, other ones covered big portions of skin, but all of them had a perfect match somewhere in the world. As time passed Logan was getting impatient, but he knew he couldn’t say anything, not with his mother there. He didn’t believe much in the importance of the soulmate, nor his parents, and that’s how things had been like in his family for a long time. Still, the thought of being connected to someone was interesting to say the least. He noticed how once with their mark everyone seemed hypnotized about it and automatically backed away a bit, scared of ending up brainwashed just like them. It didn’t last more than a second thought, he knew he would be able to fight it.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts he almost didn’t hear the goddess calling him, but with a calm face and a quick pace, he sat in one of the few empty chairs in the room. He could feel her presence surrounding him, one moment behind him and the other right in front of his eyes, studying him carefully like a weird specimen in a zoo. She suddenly appeared in front of him and held his wrist like she did with everyone else, her fingers warm, sending weird chills through his body. She was staring at her eyes intensely, without breathing nor blinking, and suddenly she smiled at him genuinely, tears long forgotten. He could almost see through her eyes all the ideas racing through his mind, making him feel even more uncomfortable than before.

“ _ I have something special saved for you, Prince Logan. _ ” She softly kissed his forehead; not leaving a mark, but spreading warmth through his whole body. “ _ You have my blessing. _ ” Then she softly kissed his wrist, small traces of light appearing and circling until his soulmark appeared. A dark blue moth, adorned with intricate patterns, linking him with his soulmate. He was curious about who that person was, or why their soulmark was a moth, as the natural magic that held inside worked through his mind. As soon as he noticed it he closed his eyes and tried to fight against the spell, scared of the weird feelings going through his body, but his mind kept wandering towards the insect tattoo, forcing his eyes to open to watch and study it. He needed to put the bracelet on, and fast.

As the last kid in the room was given a mark Khuya gave everyone a farewell message before she floated back to her pedestal. They walked out of the room in silence, and outside everyone’s families had been waiting until the ceremony ended. Logan quickly went besides his mom and held her hand, showing her the soulmark.

“Don’t you think it’s pretty?” He bit his tongue but it was too late, curiosity getting the better of him. “Do you think marks follow a specific pattern or symbol? Maybe they have a deeper meaning.”

“It is not something we should care about.” The expression on her face was unreadable, but he knew that she wasn’t happy about his thoughts. “Remember what you’ve been taught.” And with that the conversation was over. Logan took a last glance at his mark before entering the throne room.

Laying on the table you could find perfectly arranged bracelets, each with a deep blue color. In complete silence each family took a bracelet, which was quickly placed over the fresh soulmark, the silver lock linked forever and leaving the accessory tight in place. It was cold against Logan’s skin, but comfortable, and within seconds he almost forgot about it as it felt like a second skin, the last bits of Khuya’s spell fading away. The silver was bonded with magic, that way nobody will be able to remove it by accident, and with that the soulmark will remain hidden forever, even those who were too big to be covered were hidden thanks to the magic inside the object. Looking around, he could see many kids feeling uncomfortable, fidgeting with it, or softly touching the place where the soulmark used to be, but it was something that had to be done. It was necessary, for the kingdom and their goals. They’ll feel weird about it, fighting against the nature that was bonded deep inside them, but with time it’ll fade away. It always did.

The queen said a few more words of encouragement, closing the ceremony and allowing everyone to go back to their homes. As soon as everyone left the castle, Logan could see the tension leave her body, her shoulders relaxed, her posture not so perfect, her face calmer. She was tired. They walked back to his room, both in comfortable silence. Only three hours had passed since his mom woke him up and he was already back in his room, ready to fall asleep. Sadly, he wasn’t even slightly tired. He couldn’t stop staring at his bracelet, a bit of the spell still lingering inside him, forcing him to think about it. He needed to see it once. Just once. For research purposes.

○-○-○

Virgil had been staring at his soulmark the whole night. He came back from the ceremony, and the moth has been on his mind ever since. He remembered every detail of it already, every pattern, and if given enough time tomorrow, he’ll even know the species and it’s meaning, but he’d rather think about the other person who bore it. He wondered if she’d be like his mom, graceful and bright, cheering up everyone around her. He secretly hoped she’d be a bit like his dad as well, he wasn’t very confident in his future as a king, so a good pair of working hands would help calm his never ending worries. The next day he’d start the search with his parents, sending lackeys all over the kingdoms in the search for his meant to be. He just had to wait.

At least that’s what he thought, before his mark disappeared.

He knew he wasn’t crazy, it was there, it was right there and his parents saw it and everyone in the room saw it, but nobody else will believe them. Why would they? A markless prince was a disgrace for the family and lying to hide it would be the first option in mind. He didn’t have time to think about this though, as he saw his dreams shatter in front of his eyes, his mind numb of the screams and despair outside his room. He quickly cleaned his face from tears and grabbed a notepad and a pen, trying to draw what was left of the moth in his memories. How big were its wings, how dark was the body, how delicate were the patterns? He had to remember. If he didn’t remember, nobody would.

He started the first sketch.

○-○-○

 

With a final snap, the bracelet fell on his bed, and he only took a few moments of silence to make sure nobody heard, to keep ahead with his plan. He softly rubbed the reddened skin, the letter opener lying besides his legs, the edge still shining from the magic he cast on it to break the spell on the accessory. He was extremely cautious not to cut his skin, especially since he’d have to put it back before anyone noticed.

Using a notepad and a pencil, he started making notes on the characteristics he noticed, making sure to write down as much information as possible. The size, coloration, patterns, position, and possible sex of the moth, everything was written down in his neat and legible handwriting. He had to be quick, maybe this would be the last chance he had of studying his soulmark, and so for hours and hours he copied everything. He even attempted to draw the mark, though he failed miserably.

He put the bracelet back, making sure the magic was still working, and almost immediately fell asleep. He wouldn’t have many hours of rest, if he was lucky maybe he’d get one or two, but he had gathered enough information to start investigating. He didn’t need to look at the soulmark again, nobody would know about that night’s mischief. He heard a quiet laugh, strangely familiar to him, but before he could think about it he was fast asleep. The tiredness took over his body. It didn’t matter much, he had information, he had his bracelet, and a library big enough for him to research. 

And if he did run out of information to research, he’d always do it once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter: Religious Obsession, Swears

The festival in the kingdom of Marave has always been important for all the kingdom. It dated back from millions of years ago, back when deities and humans roamed together the earth in peace. It’s been a long time since then, but the ceremony has stood as a tradition ever since, the meaning changing with time as some sort of religious oriented festival, yet it kept being as enjoyable as before. The shows, the music, the food, the colors, it’s not a surprise everyone looks forward to the week of celebration. Usually placed around the middle of the year, it was made not only to please the gods and bring the kingdoms together without the need of politics, it was also the perfect opportunity for everyone to relax. Logan wasn’t relaxed. He had been sitting on the same place for over four hours, meeting countless politicians and royal families, following the protocol of a normal festival. It surely was unfair that those not related to high charges can enjoy a free day meeting people from all over the world, while he was punished by meeting the same people he’d already met fifteen times over the last fifteen years. Shake hand, small nod, exchange of formal words. Shake hand, small nod, exchange of formal words. Over and over and over, until the day was almost over, the last rays of sunshine entering through the open balcony.

He finally greeted the last guest at the meeting, a princess from Ayhu, and his family started packing everything up, so everything was ready for them to leave next morning. Outside, the festival was reaching its last hours, though there were still lots of people wandering around, warm lights representing each of the kingdoms covering the streets and guiding them through the darkness. There were still a few activities left before the fireworks, the show that would mark the end of the day. They’d have to be there as well, but he dreaded the moment like a death sentence. What was the point of watching the same thing happen year after year, with no change whatsoever? It might have been created to show the union between the kingdoms, but for him it only had shown how traditions were holding everyone back, and in his kingdom, it was pitiful. Beside him, his mother stood firm and formal, keeping her posture even after being there for more time than he had. They were the last ones to leave the place, and so they were allowed a little more intimacy than before, the room empty besides the two of them.

“Father hasn’t shown up today either.” He said it like an offhand comment, but it truly bothered him that it wasn’t the first, nor will be the last time, he had somehow escaped from his duties.

“He had to attend some private matters and he couldn’t find any other moment.” She checked the time on her watch, frowning “Still, it should have been over by now. I guess we’ll have to go back alone again.”

It was nice to enjoy the silence for once. The empty corridors made the sound of their footsteps louder than usual, resonating through the hallway. They walked side by side, their hands touching slightly every time they moved, and that was enough for them. On his other hand was his bracelet, tight in place, and he couldn’t help but feel self aware all of a sudden. It had been years since the last time he checked it, the tenth time he pried it open to study the meaning behind the soulmark. It’d been seven years since he got it and broke the most important rule of his kingdom, and even though as time passed he learnt how to do it without hurting himself, he also stopped investigating it. He felt like he was playing with his luck, and it wasn’t far away from the truth; right after the last time he opened it, he found out that many kids that broke the seal got kicked out of the country. He wasn’t going to risk his place as heir for something like that.

When they reached the doorsteps, they stood for a while just looking at the people in front of them, waiting for the vehicle to take them back to their residence. After some minutes of waiting, he felt his mother shifting uncomfortably.

“Simon should’ve been here by now, I wonder what happened.” For some reason, he didn’t believe she didn’t know anything about it. “Why don’t we take the chance and take a walk through the festival?”

He rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs with her, now looking at the festival in a different way. He didn’t knew if she did it for him, or because she wanted relax after a long and stressful meeting, but one way or another he’d do as she said if it made her happy. The noises of the festival surrounded them, breaking the peace of before. Most people had left already, either back to their hotels or to save a place for the firework show, so they didn’t have to suffer the overcrowding. As usual they were greeted at the stands with the respect required for their social status, they’d be offered something for free and they’d decline politely, then move on to the next shop. If they wanted something later, they’d send someone else to buy it, doing so now would cause too much commotion.

“Can I ask what sort of matters have made father so busy?” He felt his mother tense up besides him but she answered in absolute calm.

“I don’t think this should be discussed in such an open space.”

“I don’t think you’ll answer my question unless I insist, regardless of the place.” She didn’t talk for a while, simply checking the merchandise from the stores around them. He noticed the way she discreetly checked the crowd, remaining in silence while she did, until finally she answered him.

“The kingdoms of Ayhu and Inka are forming an alliance, and they might start a war against us.” He stopped in his tracks and quickly took her by the sleeve, guiding her to an empty street.

“Why would something like that happen? We have a good political relationship with both, and it’s been like that for years.”

“We always knew that opposing the gods would eventually start a conflict sooner or later. Right now your father is trying to calm things down, to make sure we have enough time to prepare ourselves before we have to go to war.”

They walked in silence for a while, letting the words sink in. Back in the festival street most of the shops were closing for the night, the fireworks starting in a few minutes. Heading back to the residence, they noticed from the distance how Simon was starting to lose his mind after many minutes searching for them, so they made sure to hurry and start traveling to their spots at the end of the festival

The capital city of Marave was constructed around a lake, situated in the middle of the continent. It was a sign of unity among the kingdoms, and as such every year it was used to hold the festival in a symbolic way. It was said that through this place was connected to the deities, though nothing could prove that. The only moment in which their existence was proved was during the marking ceremony, otherwise for Logan it was all a bunch of nonsense, just a bunch of people trying to reconnect with a god that left them at their mercy after marking them like cows.

The peak of a hill was covered in seats and blankets, one set of three or four per kingdom, most of the seats occupied already. It gave the perfect view for the show, from the top you could see not only the reflection of the fireworks in the water surface, but also all the people watching the show with them. The carriage stopped just at the bottom of the hill, and after climbing some old stone staircase, they found their place in between the rest of the royalty, second set from left to right.

They were all silent, the tension so palpable Logan wondered how did he not notice it before at the meeting. On his left was the Inka royal family, King, Queen, Son and Scort. Their son was about five or six years older than him, and they hadn't exchanged more words than a simple greet and farewell, but by the way he looked at the crowd with an arrogance the size of an elephant, he decided that he simply didn't like him. On his right he had Ayhu’s royal family with the unusual number of five. It was customary for the rulers to have two offsprings to preserve the bloodline, but the queen had defied the odds by having twins on her second pregnancy. He had spent part of his childhood with the oldest son, but he didn't have any memories of it besides what his family had told him, and he didn't have any reason to restart a friendship with the enemy at the moment. Lastly the kingdom besides Ayhu was the Alliku kingdom. It didn't surprise him that the prince’s seat was empty, he knew fairly well by the stories his family have told him that Alliku’s prince didn't appear in public anymore after the incident, yet he wouldn't have brought the seat to begin with. What was the point in bringing a seat for someone who wouldn't be there?

His mother pinched his arm kicking him out of his trance, giving him a warning look as not to keep staring at their company. Turning back to the lake the show was beginning. A boat was floating in the middle of the lake, filled with boxes, two workers arranging them to get everything ready. On the other side the king of the country was standing in a colorful scaffold, waiting to get the signal. Once one of the guys in the boat, a guy with a star on his clothes, got the final approvement, he stood up and began his speech.

“We’re here reunited to honor our deities for another year filled with prosperity and union. It is time to be thankful for the gifts we’ve received during this half, and to mark the end of the 683rd first half, we will end this festival with a show. May the light guide you until the return of darkness.” And with a bow, the first firework was lighted up.

One after the other, the air was filled by the bang of the shells and the smell of gunpowder, as different colored lights covered the sky. The lake bellow worked as a mirror, making it look like a sphere of light unifying two worlds. Pictures drawn by the fireworks representing each of the deities started appearing in the sky, and when Ayhu appeared he couldn't help but rub his bracelet softly.

Or he would have done it, if it was still there.

He felt the panic quickly fill his body as he looked down and saw the bracelet laying between his legs, completely off. He quickly put it back but discovered with horror that the lock was broken, and no matter how much force he did the seal wouldn't stay put. Why now, of all times? Why here? He looked at his mom but she didn't seem to notice anything, so he simply held the bracelet in place, pretending like nothing was happening, and started working on a plan.

By now all the stores must be empty, as well as the streets. Maybe if he was lucky he would be able to reach his room inadvertently and recast the sealing spell. It has been a while since the last time, but he didn't have any other choice.

Those fireworks were the most tortuous he’d ever experience in his entire life, every time the servants arranged a new set he felt himself grow more and more anxious. It wasn't until they were back in the carriage that he could find the strength to calm down enough so not to alert his mother. After a long ride back to the hotel, he walked inside the building and headed back to his room, when suddenly his mom stopped him.

“I need to discuss some important matters with you before going back to our kingdom” He felt himself tense up again, hiding his hands from her view. He had to think fast.

“I might have to excuse myself to the loo first, if it’s possible” After she nodded he quickly rushed to the room, locking the door behind him.

The bathroom of the hotel was on the second floor, so it was impossible for him to get out through there, and he couldn't do the spell here without his materials. He either had to find a way back into his room, or find the needed materials somewhere else, but the first step was getting out of there. He eyed the room, looking for a way out, when suddenly he noticed there was a cabinet with towels and sheets stored. Maybe a bit too cliché, maybe a bit too taken out of the books, he still found his way out, even tho it left a trail of evidence behind his back.

He slowly got down with the rope made out of sheets, always looking up in fear of one of the knots breaking, but he got back to earth without a scratch. Now he only had to focus on what to do next, and it had to be fast. His mom will find out at any moment now.

Walking outside the now empty and cold streets of the town, he began looking to the plants and weeds that grew through the pavement, trying to identify them without his handy book near. He opened a glass bottle and started classifying everything that seemed similar, saving every completed bottle, when suddenly he heard voices coming over.

Was it a joke? Did he really offend the gods if they were playing this on him. One way or another, he rushed to the first open door he could find and hid inside, paying close attention to any sound. He knew he was hiding in an abandoned house, the smell of humidity and the creak of the wood planks where enough proof of it, so he so he was almost completely sure they weren't going to enter the place.

“Juhu! They’re going to hear us.” A faint whisper could be heard not so far away from where he was standing, which made shivers run down his spine. He held his breath as he heard someone walk right outside the building, a pair of smaller, rushed steps signaling the animal companion of the guy. He try to slowly move to the side to check who was out so late in the day, but a creak in the planks was enough to expose him.

“Who’s there?” Step after step the person was creeping closer to him, so he quickly grabbed his pocket knife and held to it tight, ready to threaten whoever dares to come through that door. He was ready for everything, except for the sound of chains and the quick steps to return; he didn't have enough time to prepare himself for the ball of hair jumping above him, growling at mere inches of his face with teeth as big as his thumb. He tried to push the wolf away from him, but he soon found a blade at his neck, pressuring enough for him to be unable to swallow properly.

“Don't attack, I’m a prince!” He held his free hand up in sign of peace, his open palm raised up and barely covering the body of his attacker, and that’s when he noticed who he was.

It wasn't strange that he didn't see it first. Instead of the typical Urus clothes, he was wearing a big dark cape with a black hood pooling on his shoulders. He looked worn, his clothes filled with dirt and holes and with many patches, looking like they were about to break and fall apart. His face was just as dirty as his clothes, the eyebags big and a dark purple, his hair a black mess that hasn’t been tamed in a long time. He almost looked like a homeless peasant, but looking back at his face kept bringing memories to him, and in no time he was able to recognize the ex-prince of Alliku. The markless. 

He felt the knife being removed from his throat, the other whistling softly to put the wolf in a sitting position above him, not threatening him but also not letting him leave. Logan didn’t have time for any of this, but as soon as he attempted to sit up the animal started growling back at him, its owner eyeing him carefully. His mind went through everything he knew about the other, and whether or not he was a threat. He had been missing from the public image for ages, so he didn’t know what to expect. His family had disowned him, his registries were erased and most people acted like he had never existed, which brought a big leap into the information he had of him, most of it being over seven years old. The markless could easily be lunatic, even dangerous, so the only approach he could think of was getting his knife out of his pocket and fighting his way out of the mess. 

His intentions must have been pretty obvious because before he was able to grab the hilt of the knife the other held his wrist and pried his hand out of his pocket, the weapon sliding away. The glare of the other was enough to freeze him completely, but it was then that he noticed that the hand he raised was his right one. He tried to pull away but that only made the other look at where his bracelet was supposed to be, the lack of cold was enough to hint him at the lack of a bracelet. He moved his hand down slowly, still keeping a firm grasp on him, and when his eyes opened in shock he felt a rush of adrenaline take over him, pulling off his hand and hiding it against his chest, but it was too late. When he looked back at him, a smile forming on his face, he knew that he won’t be able to escape from this one.

“I found you”

Then, the alarms started sounding through the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings this chapter: Religious Obsession, Swears.

The alarms blasted all over the kingdom, their sound loud and deafening. The security measure will overcrowd the streets with guard after guard, and he knew it’d be impossible to go undetected if they stood there any longer. Logan knew it was just a matter of time his mother or the guards had noticed his escape, but with the recent events it was to be expected that thing took a lot longer

The missing prince was still staring at him, mouth agape, expression freezed in what seemed to be shock as Logan tried to understand the meaning behind his words, but with a quick shove he was able to bring him back to reality. They had to be fast. He whistled and the wolf barked at him, rushing towards him as it slowly turned into a mist. Logan watched as the other saved the mist inside a glass bottle and sealed it with a cork, attaching it to a pouch filled with other similar bottles of different colors. Now that the animal was gone he was able to stand and cover back his wrist with the bracelet, even though he knew it was too late already.

Someone saw his soulmark.

“We need to get out of here.” Like he was reading his mind, the other quickly grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the building and far away from the residence.

Guards were rushing in every street of the kingdom but somehow they were able to avoid them, mostly because his Alliku’s companion seemed to know really well the layout of the city. Between hiding inside abandoned houses, escaping through hidden holes in walls, and simply climbing their way through dead ends, Logan was feeling like his chest was going to explode at any moment. It was hard to think about the absurdity of the situation when your heart was pumping blood like a machine, adrenaline going so quickly through his body he felt his fingers shake every time he climbed. A headache was starting to grow as his brain tried to work the situation out anyways.

He looked around him trying to recognize the streets they were running through. They were far away from the center by now, but instead to going to the periphery of the almost circular city they seemed to be turning all the way to the east, across the river. The hotel room was on the opposite site, and suddenly his fears started to come back again, wondering if the other was really as truthful as he looked like at first. He had to find a way to call his attention, but no matter how much he pulled from his hand it was no avail.

It must have taken him a long time for him to finally get noticed, because when he looked around he couldn't recognize the streets they were in. He pushed him inside a building after quickly checking it was safe, noticing how a group of guards left the building right before.

“What are you doing? They’re going to find us!”

“Where are you taking me to begin with?” The look of disbelief in the other’s face was annoying him to no end. “I only need to find to cast the spell back in the bracelet to fix it back, and we will stop with all this nonsense.”

“...No” The somber look on his face scared him more than his words. “I can't let you go now.”

“Why not? We can't just run forever.” He walked back away from the ex-prince, and towards the door. “I can just look for a guard and turn myself in.”

“And then get thrown back to the streets without a second glance after they see your bracelet is off. At least here you get a few extra hours before you get replaced like a pig.” His hands were shaking as he took him by the shoulders, taking deep breaths as to calm down. “I know a place to hide outside town, an old fortress I use whenever I come around. In there I can help you find whatever you need to keep your bracelet in place, but please trust me this time, okay?”

“...why should I?”

“Do you have any other choice?” He answered with an annoyed glare, but he knew that he was right. He turned to leave the place, but then stopped on his tracks and looked back at Urus’s prince. “What’s your name?”

“You don’t know my name?”

“Do you know mine? Come on, I know you’re in shock but try to make things faster.” If it wasn’t because he’d end up screwed as well, he’d definitely hand him in because of his insolence.

“Logan.”

“Nice to meet you Logan, I’m Virgil.” Then he grabbed him by the wrist, and they were on the run again.

It took them half an hour to get outside of town, the alarms still on as more and more guards joined the now desperate search for the prince. Not even for a second his heart stopped beating like crazy but he tried to remain as calm as possible, knowing that getting nervous will only lower their chances of escaping successfully. He needed a moment to stop and think things through carefully, everything happening so quickly he was sure this wasn't the best approach to the situation. It wasn't like he would be kicked out at first glance, right? It wasn’t like he’d willingly taken out the bracelet, it just fell off. Maybe if he explained himself, and got it sealed back, he’d get the chance to stay as a prince.

Yet he didn't have enough time to think about “what ifs”, especially with the chance of it going extremely wrong, and while he was dealing with all the pondering they finally got back into the small bunker camouflaged. They walked for a few minutes into the small foliage to find it, finding a small clearing between a few trees, invisible if looking from the city. It was completely hidden by an incantation, the only trace of it being a small sense of magic that he wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t looking for it. The spell faded as Virgil took it out, opening a trapdoor and signalling him to enter. They both descended on the place in a dark rusty staircase, a slow pace that helped him calm down and realize the danger of the situation, wondered if it was worse to be discovered or to stay with the exiled prince. He was too far away from the city to receive help from anyone, and if the other tried to attack him or turned out untrustful, escaping from the place sounded impossible, as the route was hard to access and slow. After all, he still didn’t know why the other was helping him.

Once he arrived to the place, he was faced with a rather cozy round room. The room was composed by a single bed beside a magical fireplace, with a small bed for his pet, a sofa, and an old bookcase, the only thing that didn’t seem to be preserved by magic. He tried to stay close to the exit, eyeing every movement Virgil made in search of any threat, but the other seemed to be focused on something else, as he uncorked the glass bottle and freed his friend, emptying his bag and looking for something. After a few seconds of searching, he took out an old sack with stones and looked back at him, waving it in the air.

“Inside this bag I have a few restorement stones, that will help you seal that bracelet” Before he could say anything, he was stopped. “But, before, I want something in exchange.”

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest “How much? If it’s a big amount I’m warning you I can’t spend it all without getting noticed, so you’ll have to either wait or moderate yourself.” Yet the other shaked his head, refusing the offer. “No treasure?”

“I only want you to listen to me. Carefully. I know pretty well that you wouldn’t do it otherwise.” Logan looked at him with suspicion, but slowly gave up, sitting in the floor with curiosity.

“Then talk.”

He could notice how Virgil’s resolve faltered once he noticed he was now forced to talk. It was interesting to watch how much the other expressed through body language; how he fiddled with his fingers, avoided looking him in the eye, and kept legs crossed and body bended, like building a physical wall to distance from the other prince. He was still surprised by his response, how instead of finding a blade in his neck, he was supposed to hear him talk. Even though he was still wary about the other, he couldn’t help but feel...  _ curious _ .

After a long pause, his hands no longer shaking, he asked, “How much do you know about me?”

“I know you were a prince,” Logan tried to go back to the few memories he had about the incident, which wasn’t much considering it’s been many years since then. “You had a soulmark, but you lost it a few hours afterwards. Your kingdom considers you betrayed by the gods, so you were exiled and removed from your position as prince.”

Virgil answered with a small nod, before standing up and walking towards the bookshelves, searching through the dusty tomes. “The ceremony was at 12pm sharp, finishing around an hour afterwards, yet I didn’t fall asleep until around 4 or 5am. When I woke up 5 hours later my mark was gone, but it gave me enough time to remember it, so ever since then I’ve been sketching it over and over again. It is hard to forget, one way or another.” A sad smile appeared on his face, as he grabbed a dirty notebook and sat back on his place. “I’m pretty sure nobody would ever be able to forget how their soulmark looked like, even after covering it with a bracelet, or at least I can’t. I still remember it clearly, a dark blue moth printed against my skin, crowned with delicate patterns.”

As he lets his words sink in, he felt a book falling on his lap, an open page filled with drawings of moths of different sizes, all of them similar to his own soulmark. There were no patterns, but the rough sketches were clearly visible, bring a cold and dreadful feeling to his chest, suddenly wanting to be away from that place as soon as possible.

“It was impossible for me to remember the patterns as there were so many, but I’m pretty sure you’ll recognize it looks exactly like yours.” He sat on the floor right in front of him this time, as he absentmindedly realized he was acting even more nervous than before. “If you haven’t caught up yet, it’s pretty obvious. I’m your soulmate.” 

For a few minutes nobody said a word, as he passed page after page of soulmark sketches. He shouldn’t have ran away. As page after page of drawings passed in front of his eyes he knew that he had dig himself a hole he wouldn’t be able to escape now, as the new knowledge was more of a curse than a blessing with his situation. Deep down he knew it’d happen sooner or later, he knew that years after years of obsession over the meaning behind his mark will only bring him trouble, and now he was going to pay for it, because this was even worse than being caught with a broken bracelet. As he finally looked up the knot in his stomach grew tighter as he was met with the hopeful look in Virgil’s eyes, as he patiently waited for him to process the information and give him a proper answer, but what sort of answer was he supposed to give? Did he really expect that he will turn his back on his kingdom for a guy he just met, just so he could fulfil the role he was given by a goddess?

“No,” There was no question, but he knew what was in the markless prince’s mind. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be with you.”

There was an uncomfortable silence left between them, as Virgil’s hope quickly disappeared. His wolf walked towards him and plopped its head on his lap, sensing it’s master’s distress. He closed the book and left it on his lap, thinking about all the copies of his mark hidden inside it. He looked at it once more, rubbing the slightly paler skin that was hidden behind the bracelet, before putting the notebook away and standing up.

“Will you give me one of the stones now?” Virgil stared back at him from the floor, his expression now empty and indescifrable. He grabbed back the back and took a black stone with small colours hidden inside it, before putting it on his hand. He put the bracelet back in place and with a quick movement smashes the stone against it, breaking instantly like made of dust, feeling how the lock slowly interviewed with each other, leaving the bracelet where it belonged to. “Thank you.”

“I guess it is time I bring you back to your castle.” With a quick movement he bottled up his wolf and turned off the magic fireplace, avoiding looking at him while doing so. “I’m sorry for causing you any trouble, especially with something so stupid.”

“I understand why you did it.” He still could remember the pictures on the notebook, the idea of the hours spent on it sending chills down his spine. “Yet I can't believe you. I don't care much about the whole soulmate thing, as you might know, but I’m sure I’m not your soulmate. Maybe your mark was bigger, or smaller, or even the species of the moth was different from the one you remember, but I can't be your soulmate. Not the way I see it.”

“I remember my mark clearly.” He snarled at him like a mad dog, scaring him a few steps away. “Go doubt yourself as much as you fucking want, but don't doubt my words. You are my soulmate,  _ get that in your brain _ .”

Silence grew uncomfortable again, as they got ready to leave the bunker. He felt the silence settled between them like daggers on his back, guilt washing over his body without him wanting to. He didn’t had any control over the situation, he didn’t choose to know, it just happened and now he was supposed to live with the consequences. All the accusatory silence made his thoughts scramble and tangle between each other and for the first time in his life he wished he could switch his brain off for just a second, enough to remain sane. He couldn’t handle the thoughts right now.

Once everything was in place, he started the slow ascent through the staircase, feeling the hot breath of the other against his clothes and the cold metal freezing the sweat on his hands. Outside everything has grown tired, the guards nowhere to be seen, and as crazy as it might be he knew deep down it wasn't something to celebrate about.

“Shit,” He ran towards the high walls dividing the city from the creatures of the desert, trying to remain calm as many plans started forming and spinning on his head. “It’s been many hours since I disappeared, so it is no wonder my mom made an emergency meeting between the leaders to try to find where I am. We still got some time before they take unnecessary complicated action, and I’ll need you for this.”

“And why should I help you?” He turned around and found the other dark eyes staring back at him with upheld anger, bored. “I already did my part, and I have nothing to do with you anymore. Am I right, your majesty?”

“Well, yes, but without you I would never be able to prove what happened, and I need a justification for my disappearance.”

“So what, you plan on making me the bad guy of the story, even though you were the one with the broken bracelet?” He frowned and stared a the artifact in disgust. “Talking about it, what were you doing with your bracelet open? Why did you open it?”

“That’s none of your business.” He turned his back on the other and started climbing up the ladder, not waiting for an answer. The way up was slower than before, the adrenaline running off and the fatigue taking over their bodies after running from the guards for a long time, and the awkward silence surrounding them only made things worse. By the time they were standing in the ground again, Logan was panting and trying to regain some strength, but Virgil looked completely composed, ignoring him completely as he started walking back inside the town.

The way back to the hotel wasn’t as hard as when they escaped the guards. Now that the streets were practically empty, with fewer guards still searching around, they only had to be careful on not getting found by any of them. With Virgil leading the way, he had enough privacy for his thoughts, letting him think about what just happened. He looked at the ex-prince’s wrist, the place where a moth should be, and suddenly felt self aware of the tight bracelet hiding his. It was weird to find his soulmate after years of studying his mark, knowing they were united by a bond that was created by divinities but that he didn’t find importance in, nor he cared about. For many years he wondered if it should have been better that he wasn’t given one, but looking at the destroyed clothing and lost gaze of his company, he thought otherwise. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, as his kingdom is very inclined to ignoring your own mark, but the idea of maybe sharing a destiny similar to that was enough. He suddenly stopped on his track as Virgil stopped in front of him, barely missing him in the process. They were standing just a few blocks away from the hotel. It was time to say goodbye.

“Thank you for helping me back there.” The other turned back to him, but was still avoiding his gaze. He found it annoying, to say the least. “I know things didn’t end up the way you wanted, but I would have found myself with a big problem if it wasn’t because you were in the right place, at the right time. My life...” he hesitated, but thought it was better to be sincere now. “...could’ve been destroyed. Thank you.”

“My life is already destroyed,” He looked down, fiddling with his fingers as he nervously shifter weights between one foot and the other. “At least one of us will have their shit together a bit longer.”

“A bit longer?”

“That bracelet...no matter how much you try to deny it, it has been opened more than once.” He finally looked at him, and he found himself being studied by his gaze. “I have no idea why would you do that, and I couldn’t care less, but you need to be prepared to solve it yourself the next time it breaks open again” He then opened his pouch and took out the bag from before, handing it to him. “It’s not much, maybe enough for seven or eight more failures, but it’s something.”

“Thank you.” He held the bag close to him, thinking on a place to hide it. He finally kneeled and pulled up his pants, tying the cord that closed the back around his calf before pulling down his pants again. Perfect. He stood up and looked back at the other, noticing how he was back at being nervous, closing on himself more and more. “If you ever need help tell me. You being markless might be a problem in other kingdoms, but here we’ll welcome you with open arms.” He laid a hand on his shoulder in what he thought was a comforting manner. “I know it’s hard to move on, but trust me, it is better this way. This will give you the chance of improving yourself, in being a better person. After all, there is no better love than the love of yourself.” 

Virgil looked at him, his nervousness calming a little, showing a small smirk. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” He heard some shouting behind him and cursed under his breath, running towards the other end of the street and out of sight, probably hiding in one of the secret passages. Before long Logan was surrounded by a dozen of guards, his mother and father following shortly after. He was trying to comprehend what they were saying, but they were talking all over each other, making him feel suddenly overwhelmed by everything, specially since a few moments ago he was alone with Virgil.

_ His soulmate. _

He was still trying to digest what just happened. In the span of a few hours he found the person he was connected with. And not only he was an ex-prince, but an exiled person, almost an urban legend. He gazed at the place where he escaped, knowing somehow that he was still there, watching the whole situation unfold in front of him. Something deep inside really wanted him to come to his kingdom and move forward from his mark, not because of some sort of attraction but because he carried a weight that he deemed unnecessary. That only made his resolve more powerful. They were doing the right thing, they had to help everyone that was suffering just like Virgil. With that in mind, he followed the rest back to the castle, thinking quickly about an excuse of his disappearance.

He could still feel a piercing glare on his neck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter: Really light sex mention?, Religious Obsession, Swears

“So, you told her you went down because you saw a lost girl, then she tried to escape and while chasing her, you got lost.” Joan was walking beside him as they tried to reach their next lesson, back in their kingdom. Winter was starting to show, as it could be seen by the people wearing scarves and the trees losing their leaves. It never snowed there, so it never became overwhelming, but the constant rain was ruining people’s mood. Over his long-sleeved shirt he was wearing a huge overcoat, while his friend was using a simple scarf and a jacket. From the second floor window they could see life returning to the kingdom as the last remains of the festival faded away, the decorations on the houses of the people that stayed long gone and saved for next year. It has been a week ever since then. “So, what’s the true story?”

He noticed he let his mind wander again by accident and he wasn’t prepared for that question yet. Thankfully the hall was empty, as they woke up before everyone in the castle because of their private lessons, which they were already getting late for. “I’ll tell you later the details, but my bracelet fell in the middle of the fireworks.”

“For real?” He nodded, avoiding the other’s look as he felt the bracelet pression against his skin, Joan’s eyes fixed on it. “I know you don’t want me to tell you, but I don’t care; you got right inside the lion’s den, now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

“Oh just shut up,” He bumped his shoulder against the other, annoyed by their attitude, but they didn’t seem to care. “It has been a while since I’ve opened it, and you know that. It shouldn’t have happened.”

“You know what they say, even the weirdest stuff has a chance of happening.” They stood up in front of him, imitating Logan’s voice. “Statistically speaking, of course.”

He huffed, hiding a smirk from their sight. “I don’t know when will you react when you hear the worst part.”

“It gets worse!?”

“I hope you’re aware that your tardiness won’t be ignored, your highnesses.” In front of them their teacher had left the classroom, looking at both of them with anger. “You will stay overclass for an extra hour, to amend the time lost.”

“Yes Ms.Karfunklerot.” They quickly entered the room and sat on their respective seats, taking out their books and pens.

Time seemed to slow down once class started. It wasn’t that Logan didn’t find the subject interesting, quite the contrary, but he couldn’t help that his mind wandered toward the events of the festival. He hadn’t heard back from Virgil ever since then, and his hopes of seeing him again, that he decided to become a person independent from his soulmark, became smaller and smaller each day. He felt Joan glancing back at him from time to time, most of the time to save him from being discovered by their teacher after letting his mind wander for too long. Once they were done with their lessons for the day they started putting their stuff on their bags, the noon’s sun saving them a bit from the cold of the castle. They left without saying a word, hearing how the teacher locked the classroom’s door behind them and once they parted ways with her they finally dared to speak again.

“Same place as ever?” 

“Is there any other choice?”

“None that I could think of.” They smirked, slowly rushing their steps to get to their hiding spot quickly. Logan knew he was extremely impatient to know about the full story by the way he glanced back at him to check he was still following, chuckling at how obvious he was.

They went through many corridors until finally finding the stairs outside the inner garden, empty except from the gardeners. The garden was the pride of his mother, started by his grandmother, and it tended to amaze everyone that was seeing it for the first time, but after many years of watching the same flowers and the same trees its magic turned dull to him. They calmly walked towards the other side of it, making sure nobody was looking at them, and stared at the glass that divided the empty space from the next corridor. He took out a moonstone and held it on his left hand, slowly knocking on the crystal to open the portal towards their hiding place. The surface of it looked like water all of the sudden, like staring at the bottom of the deep ocean, and with a last glance back they entered the place, the door closing behind them.

Inside they were met with a small library, cozy and filled with tapestries and paintings. Two blue armchairs were waiting for them, a snack table in the middle, as their hidden room had slowly molded with time to their needs. He wasn’t sure if his mother knew about the place, as he never mentioned it to her nor she showed any sign of knowing about it, so he thought it would be okay to think of it as their safe spot for talking and reading. He sat back on the chair and sighed with delight as the softness greeted him; it has been a while since the last time they were there, between ceremonies and festivals they hardly found any free time at all. He heard the other flop on the other seat, this time laughing at the dramatic way he sighed and curled up on it, grabbing one of the crackers in the plate. 

They ate in silence for a little while, enjoying the moment. Joan broke it first. “So... bracelet.”

“Yes,” Using the arm as a hold he laid his head on it. They were playing with a cracker between his fingers, but he knew they were paying attention to his every word. “I’m trying to discover why did it fall. It couldn’t have been because of me.”

“It could, in fact, especially with how much you how much you tampered with it.” He finally looked at him, cracker forgotten. “But let’s pretend it’s not that. What are your ideas?”

“I... I don’t know, to be honest.” He rubbed the accessory absentmindedly, a habit he had earnt in the last week. “I just can’t believe it was a casualty. It seemed too premeditated, like it had been calculated.”

“Why do you think that? Did something happen?”

“I…” He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, then looked back at his friend. “I met my soulmate.”

Silence fell into the room as his words sank in, the prince studying how their expression changed from shock to surprise to horror in what seemed like mere seconds. “You what!? How? Where? Who?”

“Calm down, it’s not as interesting as you think.” He crossed his legs, nervously tapping his knee. “I met him when I was escaping the castle, or more like his dog found me while I was hiding. He noticed my bracelet was off, then proceeded to help me escape the guards and bring me to his bunker outside of town.”

“Kinky.”

“Oh, shut up!” He hit him them one of the cushions, their laugh muffled because of the object. “The thing is that when inside he told me that he could remember his soulmark, and that he knew it was like mine. He had a whole book with drawings of it, and it matched perfectly.”

“Woah. He surely is obsessed.” He played with the throw cushion between his hands, making it spin. “What do you think of him?”

“He’s... disappointing. He could use the gift he has to have a life free of any problem, yet he drowns in his melancholy and the social standards he’s supposed to meet. I even offered a place in my kingdom, but as you can see he hasn’t come here, so I guess it’s a no.”

“Maybe it’s not about what he could be, more like what he is now. It’s really hard to change one’s view of the world after so long, and not everyone has been raised knowing they didn’t have to follow their mark. He has all the right in the world to seek for his happy ending with his soulmate.”

“Well, not anymore. I might be his soulmate, but I won’t leave my kingdom just for a romantic affair with someone I used to share a moth with.”

“Say what you want!” They stood up and stretched their limbs, popping their shoulders while doing so. “But if I were him, I wouldn’t give up so easily after searching for my other half for my entire life. He’ll be back.”

“If that’s the case then I hope he won’t. I can give him a place here if he forgets his bond with me, otherwise I’ll just kick him out.” He stood up as well and went to one of the shelves in the room, taking out a chess game. “But enough about soulmarks. Would you like to play some chess?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

○-○-○

It was really late at night, the freezing cold of winter turning worse because of the lack of sunlight. His clothes were too loose to prevent the wind from entering, sending chills throughout his body. After parting with Joan he had made his way back to his room to reread the assignments for next class, and when he was about to call it for the day and sleep until tomorrow a guard appeared at his door, sending a request from his mother to meet him as soon as possible at one of the conference rooms. Which brought them to the actual situation. Logan wasn’t sure of the reason his mother had called him that couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning, considering that being sleep deprived for a meeting wasn’t something she was fond of. Once in front of the second floor room he softly knocked on the door. Once he received a signal of entering he opened it, finding that in the meeting he wasn’t going to be alone with his mother.

The room went quiet as soon as he appeared. There was a large table dividing the huge space, but only the extreme closest to the door was being used because of the small amount of people using it at the moment. On one side of the table Daira was standing up, a stoic look on her face as she was fulfilling her paper as royalty. On the other side both king and queen of Alliku were looking at him with a concerned face that made a knot form in his stomach, but he remain calm, his face inexpressive.

“I’ve come here mother, what matter do you require help with?” Is that when he noticed that the princess of Alliku was also there, standing behind her parents. Raffaella was standing there, looking slightly nervous as the situation unfolded in front of her, but as soon as she noticed he was staring at her she looked back, silently pleading for help. His mother cleared his throat and he was back at looking at the rulers.

“We’ve been discussing about a political alliance against Inka and Ayhu. As I’ve told you before, a war is coming, and we need to act quickly before it’s too late.” She took a deep breath and walked towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder, her face suddenly morphing like she had aged 5 years. “I need you to please understand there is nothing else we can do. We’ve arranged a marriage between you and their daughter, which will be officialized in four days.”

His mother then proceeded to explain to him the rest of the procedure, detailing dates and formalities with the help of both king and queen of Alliku, but all of that turned into background noise in his head, as he processed the words. He stared at his mom, taking notice of the wrinkles on her skin and the tired expression on her face, but she stood firmly, not letting the other rulers notice her weakness. Behind her King and Queen were standing, their expression cold and professional as they added little to nothing to the background conversation. They would have come across as formal and emotionless, but he knew better than that, he noticed the subtle fidgeting on the queen’s fingers, the way their eyes closed slightly more due to fatigue, the way their posture was almost unnoticeably slouched. They were tired as well.

_ The grown up world surely was a scary place _ . Right now he wasn’t sure he wanted to know more about it, as weird as it might sound coming from him.

“I would rather think about these matters overnight, mother,” He was her slightly flinch over his reaction, something telling him he had interrupted her in the middle of a sentence. “I know this is something of extreme importance, and as such I’d like to dedicate it the required time. I hope it doesn’t generate any issue, it’d be the least of my intentions to offend our guests.

“No, we understand. I think it’s for the best we finish discussing these tomorrow morning.” from the corner of his eye he noticed Raffaela muttering a soft thank you to him. He wasn’t the only one who needed time, it seemed.

“Since we all agree, I think it’s time to call off the meeting for tonight.” His mother opened the door of the room for them to leave, their buttler waiting outside. “Simon will show you your room, thanks for your patience.”

After giving them their farewell he walked all the way back to his bedroom in automatic, his thoughts wandering back and forth between the events of a few minutes ago. He was starting to hate the way his brain wasn’t able to comprehend these situations as fast as he wanted to, as for the last week he’s been subjected to two mentally stressful situation he hadn’t even have the chance to control in any way possible because of his lack of reaction, which brought him back to the situation back at hand. His footsteps echoed in the empty corridors in front of his room, entering it and locking the door behind him quickly. He didn’t have any time to lose, so he walked towards his writing desk and took out a notebook and a pen from one of the drawers, ready to spend a few hours solely on writing his thoughts out on his bed.

First, he had to make out the important things about what just happened, things that he had to keep in mind during his reasoning. He was going to get married to a complete stranger in four days to make a political alliance between both kingdoms. He knew the alliance was necessary due to an incoming war, and he was almost entirely sure his mother had tried to use alternatives and failed in the process. Some years ago he confessed to his mother that he was, in fact, homosexual, and even though it wasn’t something spoken to the public - as it’d cause some huge riot for sure - he knew his mother still remembers it and keeps it in mind. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, maybe he just hadn’t find a good partner from the opposite sex to be with, or at least he hoped it was something like that, he didn’t have any other choice to begin with.

He filled page after page as his mind kept running and his fingers writing and drawing arrows all over the paper. As the only offspring of the kingdom, his mother finding it hard to carry another child, the value of his life had an extra weight on it. Not only she’ll become eternally bonded to his family, she’ll probably become the next queen of Urus if the situation presented. He tried to recall whatever information he knew about Raffaela, but every interaction he had with the girl was due to social gatherings, which wasn’t the best way to get to know someone, even less since he never paid her any attention. She might be an interesting individual though, especially considering she’s Virgil’s sister.

He was surprised how he hadn’t thought about it before. Just by thinking about him made him self aware of his bracelet, the skin underneath it itching uncomfortably. Knowing the ex-prince was his age he knew his sister must have been around by the time the incident with the mark happened, that means she must have had some sort of relationship before he went missing. Her situation was pretty similar to his, as she was now the only possible heir to the throne. Since she was a female the kingdom will probably be forced to have another male heir as a substitute, so wasn’t this decision counterproductive for them? He stopped writing for a second as the realization hit him. If the marriage went on as planned, it’ll only become an issue in the long run because of the lack of a heir. His country had a vast amount of resources, enough to help any situation they might face for the next decades at least, but risking anarchy because of an empty throne was too much.

A line of idea started forming in his head and he couldn’t stop it now. He looked at the bracelet, thinking of the small moth hidden behind it. His kingdom believed in the freedom of choice and will, in the ability to choose who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, or even if you wanted to do it. What sort of example would he be if he ruled over them with an arranged marriage to someone he would never love? The situation was getting worse and worse as every minute passed. A war between kingdoms was about to start and every second was valuable, and the sheer gravity of it was enough to stress him, his parents must be terrified of what was yet to come. It was the only reason he could think of why they were rushing into a political alliance and marriage without second thoughts. Yet he was different.

He grabbed a backpack and started saving stuff, anything he could find that could be useful for the long run. Magic stones, notebooks and pens, bandages, he made sure to include everything as the last details of his plan started forming in his head. He was Logan, future king of Urus and the hope of his people, and as such he knew he had to prove his worthy, and there was no better way than to solve the mess his parents were about to get into. With enough time he might be able to find an alternative solution to all this predicament, a solution in which he won't be forced to lie for his whole life. He only needed time and resources, but right now the main goal was to escape from the castle once again, this time for something more than just a broken bracelet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter: Religious Obsession, Swears.

Logan wished he had the chance to leave Joan a note about his whereabouts, but there were many reasons he was unable to do so. First of all he wasn’t entirely sure where he was going, he just knew he had to find a way to, somehow, go from Urus to Ayhu as fast as possible without getting caught by the hundreds of guards that will surely be searching under every rock for him after they find out he wasn’t on his bed next morning. Second, he wasn’t sure where would be a safe spot to leave him a note. They will surely search Joan’s room as soon as they notice his disappearance so leaving a note there was a huge no, and he wasn’t entirely sure their hiding spot was as hidden as they thought it was. The mere thought of it was enough to spike his anxiety up as he sneaked his way through the castle, feeling like the walls of the corridors had ears and every step he took was as loud as a herd of elephants running through the night. Maybe if he hadn’t been such a goody two-shoes for his family and had spent his early teens doing something more punishable than just arriving late to class he might have known better the best way to sneak around of the timing of the guards patrol, but right now he had little to no knowledge about anything that might help him get away with this.

He peeked through the second floor window towards the inner garden bellow, moving the hood of his cloak to get more vision. Even though he was unable to see the guards but being guided by the flashlights they were carrying, rays of light piercing through the darkness and bathing the flowers into a saturated white. There were two guards walking in this section of the castle, which meant it wasn’t a safe option to go through it. He noticed some slight movements on the right corridor of the second floor, a guard approaching his position, so he crouched to the opposite directions and onto the stairs, checking that no guard was near that zone, as the echo of his steps turned louder there. In front of him the garden stood in all its glory, both guards now standing at the left and right side of it, making it impossible to round it towards the exit ahead. He’ll have to take another way if he wanted to escape unnoticed.

Making his way to the right, he tried to be as silent as possible while reaching the other side, surprised that he hadn’t been discovered yet. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his ability to walk silently, it just that the guards were too easy to fool. He’ll have to talk with his mother about it, but right now he had enough problems to deal with, starting with his escape. Almost like calling his bad luck he heard a shout besides him, walking in front of a guard by accident after letting his mind wanted for too long. He cursed under his breath as he ran towards the front exit, but he could already hear the rest of the guards coming that way. The only way out was the window at the end of the hall, but he had to be quick. He rushed towards it and jumped outside without a second of a doubt, glass falling with him as the alarms started sounding everywhere, waking up the people in the close vicinity. Lights started to appear on some of the windows, some people even going outside, which made his choices even more narrow. He couldn't let his people notice him escaping from the castle, yet every house surrounding the area was of middle-upper class people, so he won't have the same opportunity of last time of finding an empty building. He pulled his cowl down and ran towards the closest venue, feeling the people shout at his side and the hounds being released from the castle, the barks loud and clear in the chaos. He sprinted as fast as he could but he knew he will be caught sooner or later, the stabbing pain in his lungs was proof of that.

Turning the next corner to a dead end, the hounds getting louder and louder as they approached him. He was doomed. The brick wall was terrifyingly tall and threatening, and it didn’t matter how hard he gripped the holes and tried to climb it, it was useless. He felt movement behind him, and as he turned he was slightly scared as he saw the manhole moving up, revealing pure darkness broken only by a pair of arms. He slowly walked away from it, the dead end now pressing cold against his back, and his brain tried to comprehend the situation with the adrenaline still rushing through his body. The guards and hounds rounded the corner, and just as the light of a flashlight blinded him painfully he felt the pair of hands holding him by the toes, falling onto the floor and right inside the depths of the sewers. 

His first reaction was to scream as loud as he could for help, but a hand quickly covered his mouth and muffled any attempts to do so. He scrambled and tried to pry the hand away, but his enemy was stronger and he was still recovering from the chase, so he found himself pinned against the wall, trying to regain his breath just by breathing through his nose. His eyes slowly adapted to the darkness, his mouth getting uncovered as the other noticed he calmed down. A blinding light came from underneath him, forcing him to close his eyes as he slowly tried to adapt to the light.

For some reason he wasn’t surprised he was saved again by Virgil.

“Why is it that you’re always in the right place at the right time?” He dusted his clothes, watching as the other smirked at him.

“Maybe it’s destiny?” His smile dropped off when he was confronted by the disgusted face of the other, opting for an awkward shrug “I guess I’m just lucky.”

“How is it that the guards haven’t opened the manhole just yet?” He climbed the short ladder behind him and touched the ceiling, noticing there was no hole on it whatsoever. “How’s this even possible? Did you literally make it disappear so quickly?”

“The sewers are my way to go when I want to move quickly through the towns. Not the best choice when trying to remain hygienic, but it helps that I know how to modify them at my own will after so long.”

“Still that doesn’t mean you’re not incredible! I can barely do one spell or two.” He dropped back to the ground, walking near Virgil again. “Thanks again for saving me. Things could have gone way worse than they did if it wasn’t for you.”

“Talking about that, what were you doing out there?” He started walking through the left corridor, Logan following closely behind as not to get lost. The spectacle boy let the echo of their footsteps fill the silence as he tried to think about whether or not tell the other about his escape, but he couldn’t think of a reason not to do so. Who knows, maybe he can come in handy. “So?”

“My mother tried to force me into marriage with your sister.” He stopped on his tracks as not to collide with the other, who was looking at him with a shocked expression. “Okay maybe that wasn’t the best way to phrase it, but it’s the truth.”

“Why would your mother want to link ou-those kingdoms to begin with?” Looking down at his feet, his expression seemed puzzled. “And why would my mother accept? This is not like her. She’d want Rafaella to be with her soulmate, not just...some stupid political exchange.”

“Well, the situation is pretty bad in mine. War and Love are going to war against us, and we need as much help as we can.” He sighed and pushed him slightly, prompting him to keep moving forward. “I don’t agree with the decision she took, but I understand why she took them. We need to act fast after all.”

“Then why did you leave?” Even though Virgil kept walking forward, he felt like the other was listening to him intensely. “I thought your kingdom was all about marrying people you don’t share a soulmark with.”

“Not if that implies marrying someone I don’t love, no offence towards your sister.” He started fidgeting with the hem of his cowl, letting all the thoughts on his mind out. “I know there must be another solution, one in which I don’t have to betray the beliefs of my people. I know if I get the chance to enter any of those kingdoms, I will find a way to end this mess with a better result. It’s the least I could do as the future king.”

“...Don’t you think you’re being selfish?”

“Excuse me?” The other didn’t even attempted to stop this time, letting his cold words pierce through the air.

“It’s not easy to rule a kingdom. Your parents must have gone through a lot of training and hardships to become who they are now, and they’ve been reigning over years for you to come and destroy everything they’ve been working on. You pride yourself of knowing what’s best, but you’re just a kid like me.” The light of the flashlight wavered as Virgil’s hand shivered out of contained rage. He walked slower, trying to put some distance between them as he wasn’t sure how the other would react when overwhelmed by emotions like now. “What if you fail? What if your mother’s decision was the best? They won’t give you a second chance, my parents aren’t stupid. You might have wasted your last chance to save your kingdom, so you better be right otherwise you’re doomed. You, your people, and the work your parents have done so far.”

Once again silence worked its way around them, surrounding them as both sank deep into their thoughts. Logan’s breath spiked over the doubt he had been carrying ever since escaping from his castle, shivers running down his body. He thought about the worried expression of his mother, how she’ll have to hide everything as she dealt with the king and queen of Alliku. He thought about Joan, about their last talk, about how they’d promised to tell each other everything yet there he was, far away from his home and leaving no clue to him about his whereabouts. His people, how would they prepare for an imminent war? What will they think of him if he was the cause of it? How long will they be able to hold? Will they be able to defend themselves? Was Urus’s technology enough?

He took a deep breath and tried to serenate himself, determined not to let these thoughts take the best of him. The decision was taken. He couldn’t back down now. There was no purpose on thinking whether or not he made the right choice, he had to keep moving forward.

“There was no chance I could just stay with my arms crossed” He felt his voice waver, but didn’t let it affect him. “The kingdom deserves better than an arranged marriage, I know I made the right choice, and if I ever find something on my way then I’ll just find a way to solve it. I won’t let anything stop me. That’s how we citizens of Urus work.”

“I just hope you know what you’re doing…” Virgil looked over his shoulder towards him, expression unreadable. “You know you can count on me for anything. I’ll be more than willing to save your ass as much as necessary.”

“Thank you” A small smile appeared in Logan’s face, sensing how the situation slowly calmed down. “Maybe this time you’ll take my offer to become part of my kingdom?”

“If it wasn’t because it’s you I’d think you’re trying to get in my pants.” After noticing the silence the other turned around, bursting into laugh after seeing the baffled and flustered expression on the other’s face. “I think I’ll have to decline. I don’t think I’m ready to become a lawful citizen with a twisted past yet. Even less with an incoming war.”

“Scared of ending in the middle of the battlefield? I thought you were braver than this.”

“Rats like me prefer to stay in the shadows and work strings from behind. I wouldn’t risk my life for anything on this world, and I’m not scared of being called a coward. I value my life quite a lot, thank you very much.” He stopped on his tracks and pointed at a manhole above them, some street light shining through it. The distant echo of quick steps and alarms signaled that the world above them was still at caos, trying to find him. “I have a friend that might have just what you need, he’s been traveling the world for longer than I have. We must be careful though, once I open this manhole the seal will break, so we gotta be fast.”

“Seal? What seal?” Logan climbed the ladder right behind Virgil, as he started tracing some runes on the metal with a purple gemstone.

“I sealed the entries so nobody would be able to enter, yet it breaks when you press from the other side. Are you ready?”

With a small nod Virgil finished drawing the last of the patterns, pushing the manhole and letting the loudness of the chaos enter the quiet sewers. He helped the prince out of the place and quickly closed the lid, drawing a quick unknown pattern on it. Rushing through small streets, sometimes having to hide for a while to avoid getting caught, they found themselves in front of an old abandoned house, the wind dancing through the empty windows as the putrid wood creaked with the movements. It was a two-story semi-detached house, where nature had taken control over the structure, vines curling around the walls and the grass had overgrown completely, covering their feet. He looked at the other with a puzzled expression but the other simply ignored him, walking through the small path barely visible through the mess. Following closely behind he knocked on the door, wondering if it was even  _ possible  _ someone was living there, but the door opened on it’s own and let them enter through the bit more preserved inside. Even though the humidity had also made its work through the planks and the few furniture left, there was barely any sign of the herbs inside the structure, making it understandably more comfortable.

They didn’t have much time exploring, because a few steps into the house alarms started sounding around them, all sort of weapons emerged through holes in the walls and surrounded them in almost a comical way, the pieces of shiny metal contrasting greatly with the abandonment. Footsteps were heard through the other room as a shadow figure appeared in front of them, a cowl covering them completely and giving them an ominous look.

“Haven’t you learnt not to enter unwelcomed in a new house?” They walked towards them, standing just in front of Virgil.

“Fuck off Remy, you know who I am.” Logan wasn't sure how to react to the whole situation, so he simply stared at both, trying to gather as much information as possible.

“You have no power to talk above m-”

“Come on! We don't have much time. Stop playing”

“You really like ruining my business don't you?” The figure finally uncovered himself, revealing his face. A young man with pale face and black hair was staring at them, his whole expression filled with annoyance. He hid his eyes behind a pair of black glasses, matching the whole aesthetic of his outfit. He pressed a small button on the wall and pulled all the weapons back inside the walls, freeing them. Logan felt like he was being watched, as Remy approached his companion. “So, you finally gave up on that soulmate of yours and decided to get a decent partner?”

“Actually, no. He is my soulmate, I checked with the drawings.”

“Ooooh, that surely is interesting, and who is the honored guy?” He turned his whole attention to him, his eyes widening in realization of who he was. His gaze switched between Virgil and him, as if to waiting for one to speak, but after a minute of silence he sighed and walked to the nearest window, closing it. “Of all the people in the world you had to go and bang the prince of the kingdom I live in? And now you throw the problem at me?” He groaned and with another movement of his hand he pressed a button and opened a door that led to a basement, warmly lit all the way down. “You better pay me well darling, you gotta stop messing with the royalty.”

“But I am royalty.” Virgil huffed under his breath.

“You were, now you’re just a commoner like the rest of us, now move on! I don’t have all night.” Remy started his way to the basement, soon followed by both of them. 

Just like the rest of the things that happened inside the house, the way down to the basement was like going through another world, the way the walls were impeccable and warm in contrast to the humid exterior of the house. They walked down for some minutes in complete silence, the loudness of the exterior slowly fading away as they made their way down, until they were met with the strange sight of a house underground.

The entrance hall was tall yet warm, the dark red of the walls and the paintings hanging around gave the place an air of elegance. The first door lead them to a big living room with the same color patterns as before. There was a fireplace on the front wall, with a small coffee table and the sofas surrounding it. What caught Logan’s attention about this room though was the fact that everything seemed to be either from another kingdom or another time. On the wall on his right there were a pair of katanas hanging from their holds, shining like if they were as new as him, but by the pattern of it he was sure they were at least a thousand years old. The rug underneath them had a drawing of the deities, the colors bright and shining clean. He walked towards one of the sofas and traced with his fingers the pattern of the wood, relishing the way the properly waxed furniture held some old scriptures he had no idea how to decipher. He heard the other two sitting down on opposite sofas so he chose to do the same, still not sure about what was happening. The best option was to remain quiet.

“So, what exactly do you want from me, Virge?” With a quick swift Remy put his feet on the spectacularly conserved thousand year old table like nothing, and Logan had to resist the urge to pull his feet off of the object. “Do you want to escape with your fuck buddy out of this kingdom, where no one will pester you? Because if that’s the case then you’ll have to pay a lot for breaking my peaceful night.”

“We’re not fuck buddies, we are just...acquaintances.” Logan didn’t miss the way Virgil tensed up for a moment, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. “But we do need a way out of this mess. I need to get to Ayhu as fast as possible to talk with the princes, and for that I need a way inside. Virgil told me you could help me.”

“He did?” Remy looked at his nails, as if trying to clean some dust on them. “Well of course he did, and I do have the information, as long as you have a way to pay me.”

“What do you want? If it’s treasure I’m sure we can reach an arrangement.”

“Why would I want your stupid money? Do I look like I need more?” He turned his face towards Virgil like expecting some sort of explanation, but the other simply shrugged, so he returned to the conversation. “I think you might have something more valuable than just a bunch of coins.” He seemed to think for a moment, before smiling. “Why don’t you give me your bracelet?”

There was a moment of silence as the question settled between them. “I’m sorry but no. There are a lot of political implications that I must follow, and that means I can’t let go of it.” He stood from his seat and turned to the door, avoiding looking at them. “Virgil, we’re leaving. We’ll find another way out.”

“But-”

“Either you follow me or I’ll find a way to do it myself.” Silence fell on the room again, the awkwardness of the moment lingering around like a thick veil. Logan turned around, tired of the other’s lack of answer, but he quickly shut his mouth after seeing the cold, ferocious eyes that met him.

“So that’s it, huh? You like to talk about how much you care about your kingdom, how you can solve anything better than anyone, yet at the first sight of something not going the way you want you back off?” Virgil stood and walked away from him, closer to the fireplace. His first were curled in pure anger. “Get it in your head, things won’t go the way you want them to go. I brought you here because you needed help, and you know you don’t have much time to think of another way, so stop being a scaredy cat and start putting some actual effort for once.”

Logan stared at him for a while then turned to Remy, watching as he snickered at them, clearly enjoying the show they were putting in front of him. He brought his arm up and stared at the blue patterns, the way the silver hugged his skin like an old friend. That bracelet had caused him trouble more than once, between making his curiosity stronger than ever and opening at the worst moments, turning his life upside down in many different ways. He then looked up at Virgil, the person he was supposedly connected with, who had been helping him through this mess even though he knew there was no chance for him on his life. If it wasn’t for him his life would have ended two weeks ago during the festival, or just a few hours ago, when chased by the police. He couldn’t just keep waiting for the other to solve his problems every time. This had to stop.

He walked towards Virgil and with a movement pulled out a dagger out of his belt, swirling it carelessly on his hand. He put his wrist on the table, the metal clinking with the waxed superficie, and with a last look at the object he exposed the lock and stabbed the mechanism with a quick snap, breaking it open. Remy extended his hand and he placed the object on it before he could think twice, his blue moth finally exposed. 

“Very good. Now, let me tell you what to do.”


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning this chapter: Religious Obsession, Swears

Virgil and Logan were tying their bags to the horses borrowed from Remy. The prince didn’t have much on him besides his backpack, so they decided to split the belongings in two to make it easier for the animals to move, something they’ll need for the long travel. He saved the invitation on his pocket, a ticket in and out of the kingdom with little to no check in, so the only thing left was to find a way inside the palace (“ _ Where did you get these tickets? _ ” “ _ I’m sorry prince, but if I were to told everyone about how I get this stuff, I’d run out of business _ ”). Once he made sure everything was properly tied he turned to check on Virgil, but he seemed to be deep in thoughts, muttering to himself about something he couldn’t hear. 

He felt guilty for the other. This mess had nothing to do with him yet he was still sticking with Logan, saving him in more than one occasion. He walked towards him and gently tapped on his shoulder, startling him noticeably. He was tense like a cat.

“Are you okay there?” Logan looked at the horse and noticed everything was secured, so there wasn’t any work left to do there “You seem pretty nervous. You haven’t stopped fiddling with your fingers, and you keep revising the bags even though they’re properly tired. I thought it’d be nice to check on you.”

“Yeah, thanks I guess.” He looked down at his hands, they were shaking slightly as Virgil tried to contain his nervousness. “I’m quite nervous. This is going to be a really big mission.”

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” Before the other could protest he stopped him. “I know you’re worried about me and my ability to get myself in trouble, but this is not your fight, and there is no reason for you to come. I shouldn’t weigh you down with something I started.”

“Listen, I wanna make this as clear as possible” Virgil was back at steaming, ruffling his own hair and playing with the loose threads, avoiding eye contact at any cost “I’ve searched for you almost half of my life. I don’t have a kingdom to return to, I don’t have a family waiting for me, I only have a bunch of small jobs and contacts I have here and there, but nothing as important as this. I might not have a chance, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to simply give up. “His face started to turn into a bright color of red as soon as he realized what he said, looking down to hide his face. “I-It’s not that I don’t respect your choice! I just, I just, sorry.”

“Sh, it’s okay, I understand” Logan sighed; he’d lie if he said he hadn’t seen this coming. “It’d have been crazy for me to expect you leaving it all behind so easily. I can’t force you to change your mind, so as long as you don’t bother me with it I guess it’s okay.”

“Will you two lovebirds come inside?” Both of them exchanged an uncomfortable look as Remy called them, going back inside the house. Logan wasn’t entirely sure about how it was possible for them to appear all across town just by opening a door, but ever since the sewer incident he guessed most of it could be explained by magic. He really had to make some extra dig up on the subject.

Entering through the door he found himself standing in the same living room they discussed the arrangement a few hours ago. Remy was laying across one of the sofa with Logan’s bracelet in hand, toying with it between his fingers and looking at it through the light, inspecting it closely. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the guy playing with such an important object with such a lack of remorse, but he also knew he didn’t have a choice on the matter anymore, as the bracelet wasn’t his anymore. He wasn’t wearing his cowl anymore, instead showing a long dark red cardigan above a white shirt and black pants.

“Quickly, sit down. The faster you’re out the better.” He sat back properly, his back resting on the back of the sofa and his arms resting on top of it. “I’ve already showed you the folders with information, but before leaving we have to check some stuff.” Bending to reach a thick folder he flipped it open, passing through the pages to double check some info. “Patton, prince of Ayhu and Roman, prince of Inka are both staying at the first mentioned kingdom, have been for the past two months and will probably be the next three weeks until they formalize their marriage. Both of them share a soulmark on the left side of his chest, precisely a yellow dove. You have enough to be able to enter the kingdom easily, so you only focus now is to get inside the palace.” He dropped the documents on the table and pointed at Virgil, smirking slightly. “Thankfully you got an ace up your sleeve, as Virgil here is a close friend of the prince of Ayhu.”

“You are?”

“Well, yeah, kinda. We’re childhood friends, and even after the incident with my mark he always tried to be by my side.” He smiled softly at the memory, his expression relaxing slightly. “We haven’t kept in contact as much as I wished, but we have a good relationship.”

“Perfect, ‘cuz that will be our ticket inside. I’m pretty sure if you manage to sneak inside and find him, he’ll hide you somewhere.” He ended up his explanation with a yawn, stretching his arms as he stood up. “Now get out of here! I need to sleep, and you’ve stayed way too long in here. Next time you enter without waiting for me darling, I’ll feed you to the dogs without thinking twice.”

○-○-○

They were outside the kingdom, already on their horses as they were ready to leave in a two week travel up to the neighbor kingdom. Behind them stood Logan’s home, a place he hardly ever left, where his family was still looking for him, and that made him feel uncomfortable all of the sudden. It wasn’t that he didn’t have doubts about his actions and their consequences, it’d be illogical to simply believe that everything will go as planned, but it was still scary to go on its own to this quest without any help from his close circle. He looked at Virgil through the corner of his eye, he was staring at him waiting for a signal to go. He still didn’t know if he was someone he could trust or not, but right now he needed the help even though he didn’t want to admit it. Maybe he should have planned more about it, or talked with his mother first, or even asked Joan for help. There were many possibilities.

“If we stay here too long the guards will notice us. We better get moving.” His words pulled him out of his thoughts, sending him back to reality.

“Virgil, be sincere with me.” Logan looked back at his companion, glancing back at his kingdom through the corner of his eye trying to find strength on the view. “Do you think I made the right choice?”

“Does it matter?” He followed Logan gaze towards the kingdom, his mouth twisted in an uncomfortable manner. “You already did it, there is nothing you can do about it. Right now we have to worry more about what comes next.”

“Yeah...you’re right” The former prince of Urus looked forward to the forest in front of them, the deep vegetation surrounding half of the kingdom like a warm embrace. The amount of trees increased the more they looked at the distance, the inside being nothing more than darkness. “Let’s go.”

They both moved forward with their horses, walking slowly inside the foliage. Both of them were quickly engulfed by nature, only a silhouette on the distance fading out of view. In a few minutes they disappeared, away from the kingdom and in their way to the next one. They didn’t look back even once.

**End of the prologue**


End file.
